1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to paint brushes.
2. Related Art
Traditional paint brushes have an elongated handle with bristles, filaments, or other application medium attached to an end of the elongated handle. Often, the bristles are attached to the handle by way of a sleeve or “ferrule” that circumscribes an end of the bristles and a mating end of the handle. A plug is often placed between the bristles to spread the bristles outward toward the sleeve so that the bristles are wedged between the plug and the sleeve. The bristles and plug are often adhered together by commonly known adhesives, such as epoxy resins and the like. Together the bristles, the plug, and the adhesive form a “knot” that retains the bristles in the sleeve. Additionally, the sleeve can be adhered to the handle by way of a common adhesive, and/or other types of fasteners such as screws, nails, brads, and the like.
In use, the bristles or filaments of the paint brushes are dipped into a liquid coating, such as paint, stain, and the like, so that coating is collected on the bristles. The coating can then be transferred from the bristles to a surface by pressing the coating covered bristles onto the surface and moving the brush across the surface. When nearly all of the coating has been transferred from the bristles to the surface, the brush must be dipped back into the paint to collect more paint that can then be transferred to the surface.
Many attempts have been made to improve the traditional paint brush. For example, many paint brushes have plastic handles instead of wood handles. Additionally, some paint brushes have hollow handles that can be filled with paint which runs out of the handle and into the bristles while painting so as to reduce the frequency of dipping the brush into the paint.
Unfortunately, traditional paint brushes, and even many of the improvements made to such brushes, continue to present problems to painters. For example, frequent dipping of the brush into the paint reduces the overall efficiency of a painter. It will be appreciated that the time required to dip a brush reduces time the painter could be brushing paint onto a surface. Thus, reducing the need to dip the brush to collect more paint increases the productivity and overall efficiency of a painter. Unfortunately, attempts to increase the paint reservoir in a brush, such as the hollow handle that can be filled with paint, are difficult to clean up and can easily be come clogged with dried paint.
Another common issue with traditional paint brushes is that many painters prefer to use a brush with very fine bristles or filaments with relatively small diameters, because of the feel and precision of the brush during a brush stroke and the smoothness of the surface finish of the resulting coat of paint. Unfortunately, finer bristles and smaller filaments cause a floppier or weaker brush.
Yet another problem with traditional brushes is that they have a generally square shape with a brush face oriented perpendicular to the sides of the brush. It will be appreciated that painting many surfaces requires the painter to gradually apply pressure to a brush against the surface so as to blend in or “feather” new paint on top of paint already on the surface. Unfortunately, a brush face perpendicular to the sides of the brush as found on traditional paint brushes makes such feathering difficult to accomplish.
Additionally, many painters prefer the feel of traditional wood handles over newer plastic handles, however, traditional wood handles, over time, absorb paint and solvents which tend to swell and contract the handle, thereby loosening the handle or brush knot in the ferrule. This loosening can cause the handle to move in relation to the brush head. It will be appreciated that such movement can make it difficult to precision paint.